My First Pots

No, not them.........scroll down to see my first efforts.




Well as promised my first pots......

I really enjoyed yesterday's session. No, I didn't get down and dirty again, I spent the two hours simply fine tuning bottoms. Hm....I can see the mind is in overdrive. But no, it simply means taking the excess clay from the bottom of the pot to make it more steamlined.

Well that's the theory. In practice, not too sure how successful, these are pre-skimming.

It's Raining It's .............

So what does one do on a wet Saturday in Kalgoorlie?

A quick necessary shop.

A visit to the Computer Doctor, who can't see the patient till Thursday. I do hope the virus isn't too serious. (Don't you just hate the talented nerds who develop all these viruses, spybots...etc? How much time and money they cost us).

The ok morning was followed by a great afternoon. I spent it at the movies watching
Mamma Mia http://www.mammamiamovie.com/ with a friend. What a delightful, 'feel good' movie. Well perhaps not for the arty types and judging by the gender of the audience, not one for the guys either, but well worth a look, especially if you want to come out feeling really good about everything.

Oh judging by the queue to get into the movie theatre, we weren't the only ones spending a wet afternoon being entertained. Yes there were lots of guys too, but they were heading for, The Dark Knight, and the martial arts movie, Forbidden Kingdom. I can't understand why?

Dog Attack

Did I mention that some of the dogs here seem more than a little angry.

I'm not sure what it is, but I have a feeling that keeping them behind fences has something to do with it. It reminds me of when I lived in South Africa many years ago. Most households there kept dogs for protection.

It seems that unsuspecting walkers of dogs are fare game. I have had to change the route I walk several times to avoid dogs leaping up at fences and scaring the ........... out of me.

This morning for instance, we, that is Chardy and I, were following our usual, 'safe' walk, when from across the large oval charged a small, black, bull terrier type. Did he bowl up and wag his tail? No, not at all. Snarling and snapping he grabbed hold of Chard's jowls, hanging there for a split second.

The female owner, was calling him, but to no avail. I think she had anticipated the attack. Somehow I have the feeling it was not this dog's first.

I screamed at the dog, which sensibly let go and headed back across the oval. Putting Chard on his lead I walked frustratedly away, our morning walk ruined.

That's not to say all the dogs I meet in Kalgoorlie are like that, just a few more than seems necessary.

Rainbows and pots

Vivid rainbows took my eyes from the road as I drove back once more to Kalgoorlie.

Child like I was captured by the bright bridges of colour that spanned the horizon.

It is a strange phenomena that makes each sight seem larger than life when travelling so far on an almost empty road. The newly sprouted wheat is greener, the yellow canola appears to be more yellow than anything seen before.

But I'm back and after a day of Professional Development, the teachers amongst you will know what that was like, so I will not bore you with the detail, I was ready to tackle a new venture. Yes, I am doing pottery....... Making a mess would be closer to the truth. Next week I'll take my camera to show you the result of my two hours labour.

I'm giving pots as Christmas presents.......and I'm laughing at the thought.

No, they won't look like these, photographed in a Melbourne exhibition. $2500 for the blue ensemble.

Reality check as Kalgoorlie Intrudes

"Is that your phone?" Norma asks.
"Is it?" I've changed the ring tone without knowing, but the sound is coming from my bag.
"Hello"
"Is that Lynda?"
I answer, and listen while a disembodied lady's voice from Grow (Government Housing) in Kalgoorlie apologies for phoning while I'm on holiday, but she thought I'd like to know I have a house inspection on the 23 July.
"When's that?" I ask.
"Wednesday" she replies, and continues, "they've written saying, due to a very busy workload the date/time is not negotiable, and if you can't be there they will use their master key."
Isn't it funny how the tone of a letter can make you annoyed. Of course I won't be there on a Wednesday morning and really it doesn't matter if I'm there or not. What does matter is that Chardy is not found inside.
So all I have to do is clean up a bit and put the dog outside.

Nothing to worry about at all......Well about that I'll keep you posted.

A Ruggy Story

After years of hunting, it was eventually found, carried home and installed.

Just a Monday

So how was your Monday? Mine was interesting.

10.00am SMOKE ALARM......No just the Geek who'd come to look at Susi's computer. Someone
forgot to tell me that there is a beep, beep that sounds like a sm ..al.. to buzz visitors
through the gate.

10.30am Visit Paul, picture framer, who works from a house in the infamous Grey Street, the
red light area of St Kilda. He is busily preparing frames for an upcoming Art
Exhibition, but will find time to frame a picture for me.

11.30am On the number 96 tram heading into the centre of Melbourne to meet a girlfriend
that I haven't seen since before Christmas.

12.35pm Realise I've been waiting in the wrong place.....race through the centre of Myers only
to be accosted by a non-English speaking Asian lady, who insists on using my mobile.
Yes the first time becomes a rather irritated noooo after she asks to use it a fifth
time .................... I am rescued by, Diana, my rather late lunch partner.

1.00pm to 2....something Brochette yum, especially with girlfriend gossip.

3.15pm On tram returning to St Kilda, receive call from Qantas.....flight delayed three hours.
8.00pm went to 11.00pm.

4.45pm Walking towards the only hardware shop in St K..... an elderly man had collapsed on
the pavement, cracking his head and receiving a nasty gash. Luckily the local
residents had rallied round, someone was calling an ambulance and another was
comforting him. It is worth noting though, that the doctor in a building above was
too busy to assist. Giving the benefit of the doubt let's hope the patient being treated
was also an emergency.

6.00pm Cup of tea.........finish packing.

7.30pm Eating pizza from downstairs at the Banff and sharing the events of the day. Plane further delayed....11.35pm http://melbournerestaurant.blogspot.com/2008/01/banff-restaurant-review.html

12.35am Take off Tullamarine Airport

4.00am Mel Time/2.00am Perth Time Arrive Perth Domestic Airport.... first out of the airport.
Talk to Bangladeshi Taxi Driver on the way home ... He loves Perth, it's a great life!!

Before the weekend ...... Friday Night

So what do you do on Friday evening in Melbourne.....

You meet outside Flinders Street Station....... walk to one of those funky little lanes and find a cozy cafe to have delicious food at a price that makes you smile and say, "......hm....you wouldn't get this in Perth or Kal for this price."

Then after warm conversation, a glass of Margaret River shiraz and satisfyingly full stomachs you stroll over the Yarra Bridge to the Playhouse at the Art Centre to see David Williamson's latest offering, "Scarlet O'Hara at the Crimson Parrot.' A very enjoyable, funny play which reminded me of by gone eras and amusing incidents in restaurants.

A slow departure from the theatre, where we took in some wonderful photography, viewed costumes and artifacts from previous performances, finished off a delightful evening.

Oh and the taxi home, not a problem, picked up right outside the theatre. Perfect!

Sunday
We were back at the Art Centre on the Sunday to see the inspiring Art Deco exhibition. The glamour was amazing. Who can believe the, Flappers and The Great Depression, were all in that same era. http://www.visitvictoria.com/artdeco

Saturday ..........we found SNOW!

Didn't I say I could feel snow in the air......well here it is.

Yes just over an hour outside Melbourne on a mountain top looming above picturesque Warburton we found snow. Not just a sprinkling either, but a great covering. It wasn't a ski slope or anything quite so grand, but for someone like myself who hasn't seen much of the white stuff over recent years, it was quite something. Fun........yea

Rob and Susi.......

Melbourne - A great city

Melbourne, so much like London in Winter.

There was a definite nip in the air when I landed on Tuesday night. I haven't felt that since last year when I was back in the UK. It's not just W A cold....and it has been. 0.7c is not to be sneezed at, but Melbourne had that icy edge, something Perth residents rarely feel. Snow is in the offing.

Exciting addition

This post should have gone in earlier in the week, but I was rather busy, so have only just had a look at those photos. We had an addition to KPS, it was a new transportable classroom. Yes, our school has grown especially in the junior grades, (31 children in both Year One classes). So to accommodate an additional class they've had to bring in a portable classroom.

I've worked in a few and they're usually fine. It was very interesting watching the crane lift the two parts up and over the fence. We took some of the children who would be making up the composite class to view their new abode and all were, as expected, very excited. Even the local paper, "The Kalgoorlie Minor", came along to view the event and took some photos.
.

They put it behind the trees that you see at the

end of the video.

Holidays

Tired, but happy, home again.

Two weeks of R & R. Holidays, can’t beat them. I’m even getting used to the long drive back. I have almost got it down to the 6 hours everyone else seems to be able to do it in. I’ve now devised a system of sorts. I drive the first two hundred or so kms., then stop for a coffee and to walk the dog...... Then it’s another couple of hours drive and another cup of coffee.......then drive, drive till home.

So far I have always had something interesting catch my eye. This time it was a couple of cavorting horses. It was almost as if they were performing for me. When I pulled up all three horses were grazing. The chestnut appeared to notice the car. As I got Chardy out for a walk... it started racing around, then the white one joined in the game and they moved closer and closer to the fence. Their antics ceased abruptly once I’d climbed back into the car. Perhaps they thought they might earn the proverbial sugar lump. Alas they were unlucky.